Rotary oil-burner



Sept. 27, 1955 w. R. RAY 2,718,919

ROTARY OIL-BURNER Filed May l5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1955 w. R. RAY 2,718,919

ROTARY OIL-BURNER Filed May 15, 1952I 2 sheets-sheet 2 /Nl/ENTOQ, h//LL/AM Q. @AY

ATT-GENE,-

United States Patent 2,718,919 ROTARY OIL-BURNER William R. Ray, Los Angeles, Calif.; Vida Ray, William A. Ray, and Alvin W. Ray, executors of said William R. Ray, deceased My present invention relates to rotary oil-burners, and more particularly to oil burners of the general type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,568,763, and in my copending applications Ser. No. 679,285, filed Iune 25, 1946, and now Patent No. 2,620,864, Ser. No. 132,687, filedk December 13, 1949, which issued on May 20, 1952, `as Patent No. 2,597,033; the burner of the present invention being, in some respects, an improvement over the burners disclosed in said patent and applications.

One of the main objects of this invention is to prevent formation or accumulation of soot and/or of carbon on and within the burner itself, and on the wall of the surrounding combustion chamber; the accumulation of such unburnt products ofthe fuel-oil being one of the chief causes of trouble in burners of the general type to which this invention relates. p

I accomplish this main object, in general, by providing, for use in a surrounding combustion chamber, a rotating hollow member within which fuel-oil' vaporV is generated due to the heat of combustion in the chamber, and means for receiving the vapor and' for directing it, in burning state, alongside of the vapor-generator toward the open end of the combustiony chamber. By such an up-shot arrangement the re does not reach the side wall of the combustion chamber even when, as is preferred, that wall is reltaively close to the generator and the burner, so that no soot is formed onl the wall.

To prevent formation of soot on the outer surface of the vapor generator, I' provide means whereby a protective layer of air is formed around` that surface. I further provide means for removing carbon from Withinl the. generator by centrifugal force, aided by a stream of fuel-oil.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotary oil-burner which, while highly eicientg is relatively noiseless in operation.

For full understanding of the invention, and further appreciation of its objects and advantages, reference is to be had to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing, and to the appendedclaims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a rotary oil-burner embodying this invention;`

Figure 2 is a transverse `section taken alongl the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a` fragmentary vertical' section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;. and4 Figure 4 is a view, similar to that of Fig. 1, showing a modied form of the invention.

Referring now more 4particularly to- Figs'. l-3, the numeral 11 indicates a housing wherein an ordinary electric motor is mounted; the arrangement being generally as disclosed in said copending application Ser. No. 132,687. The space between the housing and the motor` is kept filled with lubricating oil by way of a pipe 12.

The shaft 13 of the motor is hollow and serves to supply fuel-oil to the burner from a source connected to, the bottom of the structure by a pipe 14. Pressed into a recessk in the top of shaft 13 is a hollowextension v1S of ice that shaft. At its top this extension has a head 16 from which a plurality (six, as shown) of fuel jets 17 project; there being small pockets 18 (Fig. 2) at the inner ends of the jets whereby fuel-oil supplied through the bore 19 of the shaft-extension is distributed uniformly to the jets; the arrangement being generally the same as disclosed in said application Ser. No. 132,687. The head 16 is closed by a cap 20 having a small hole 21 through its center for entrance of air which facilitates ow of fuel-oil into the jets.

Secured by a sleeve 22 to the motor-shaft 13 is an airimpeller or blower 23 and, on top of the blower, a hollow structure 24 having a top wall 25 which is centrally apertured to receive the bottom end of a relatively thinwalled hollow cylinder 26 which surrounds the shaftextension 15 and its head 16; the parts 25 and 26 being secured in place as by welding.

Around the blower 23 and the lower part of structure 24 is a two-section blower-casing 27 which rests on andy is secured to a cylindrical housing 28 which spacedly surrounds the motor jacket 11 and is secured at its bottom to a plate 29 clamped to the motor jacket with a layer of cushioning material 30 therebetween. A duct 31 serves for entrance of air to the space below the blower; and, when the blower is in operation, the air passes in the directions of the curved arrows shown conveniently only at the right of Fig. 1; the air entering the hollow structure 24 by way of openings 32 therethrough. Suitable means, well known inthe art, may be provided for controlling ow of air through duct 31. It will be observed that the blower 23 has an outer wall 33 and openings 34 in its top for exit of the air; by this arrangement the blower can be extended` close to the blower casing without effecting appreciable back-pressure.

On top of the blower casing 27, and thermally insulated therefrom by a layer 35 of asbestos or the like, is a plate 36 whereby the burner structure can be mounted in a furnace, either in a vertical position as shown, or in a horizontal position; the plate 36 being secured to the blower casing by any suitable means and being centrally apertured to provide an annular space around the` struc-` ture 24 so that air can pass through that space from the blower casing as indicated by the top curved arrow.

Secured to the top of plate 36 is a washer-like plate 3'7 which is flanged at its inner and outer peripheries to form a shallow circular trough 38. Welded at its bottom to plate. 37 is a hollow cylinder 39 which forms the side wall of av combustion chamber 40 having an open end which is somewhat constricted by a funnel-shaped extension 41 of cylinder 39.

At the right of the structure the lower portion of cylinder 39 is cut away to provide communication between the` combustion chamber and the interior of an ignition housing 42v projecting from the cylinder and secured thereto as by welding. The bottom portion of housing 42 is secured in an opening in the mounting plate 36 so as to form any extension of the trough 3S. The housing 42 extends onlyy part-way around the structure and contains an electric: igniter 43 of the glow-coil type; one terminal of the coil being indicated at 44. A few small openings, as indicated at 69, are provided for venting the upper interior of the` ignitionhousing.

Around the upper part of the, inner cylinder 26, and defining therewith a generally annular space for receiving fuel-oil, is a jacket 45 having a top wall 46. Projecting radially from the inner surface of the jacket are siX verti* cal ribs 47 (Fig. 2) whose inner ends are machined to so t the outer surface of cylinder 26 that the jacket can be lifted from the cylinder for inspection; means, indicated: at 48, being provided for maintaining angular relation of thel jacket and cylinder. As can be seenin Fig. 2, the ribs 47 divide the annular space into six recesses or pockets 49',-

into the upper ends or" which pockets fuel-oil from the jets 17 is projected through openings 50 in the cylinder. The inner surface of jacket 45 tapers slightly, as can be seen in Fig. 1, so that the pockets 4@ are of increased capacity at their upper ends. The arrangement just described conforms generally to that disclosed in said application Ser. No. 132,687 except that as there shown the ribs are short and the pockets quite shallow, but still sufficiently deep for the fuel-oil which is held in the pockets (as it passes through them) by centrifugal force.

As is fully described in said application Ser. No. 132,687, the arrangement for supplying fuel-oil to the jets 17 and thence to the pockets 49 effects uniform distribution of the fuel in the annular space between the jacket and the cylinder despite such eccentricity ofthe parts as may result in ordinary production. in the present arrangement the ribs 47 are extended close to the cylinder 26 and each is drilled to provide a series of vertically spaced passages 51, aligned with corresponding holes 52 in the cylinder, whereby air can pass from the interior of the cylinder to the outer surface of jacket i5 for a purpose to be described; if the air passages were provided in some other manner, the ribs 47 could be quite short and spaced from the cylinder at their inner ends.

The jacket Ld5 rests on, or is in close engagement with, a plate 53 having an outer flange 54; this plate being secured at its underside to a cylindrical member 55; clamped to the bottom of member 55, by screws 56, are three plates 57, 5S and 59; washers 60 being provided on the screws for spacing the plates apart. These plates have large central apertures so that the inner edges of the plates `are widely spaced from cylinder 26. At their outsides the plates are formed to provide upright portions S7', 5S and 59 which define between them circular slits 60 and 61 (see Fig. 2). The assembly comprising plate 53, cylindrical member 55, and plates 57, 58, 59 rest on a series of lugs 62 projecting through and secured in openings through an enlarged upward extension 63 of the hollow structure 24; the lugs maintaining the assembly concentric with cylinder 26 and providing a driving connection between the assembly and the structure 24. The internal diameter of the extension 63 is such that an additional circular slit 64 (Fig. 2) is defined between the extension and the outer plate-portion 59.

Plate 53 is centrally apertured so that there is an annular space 65 between its inner edge and cylinder 26, through which space fuel-oil vapor from the pockets 49 can pass downwardly within member 55 (as indicated by the vertical arrow at the right of Fig. l) and enter the horizontal spaces between plates 57, 58 and 59, as well as the space between the bottom plate 59, wall 25 and the horizontal portion 66 of extension 63, and then pass into the combustion chamber through the circular slits 60, 61 and 6d, as indicated by the three vertical arrows at the right of Fig. l.

As can be seen in Figs. 3 and 2 the bottom surface of jacket 45 is notched to provide rectangular apertures 67. Attached, as by welding, to the periphery of the burner assembly are four small fan-blades 68. The purpose of the apertures 67 and of the blades 68 will be described hereinafter.

To initiate operation of the burner, the electric motor is energized so that all of the parts carried by the motorshaft 13 are rotated at high speed-say, 1000 R. P. M. when the external diameter of the hollow structure is about four inches and the other parts are in the relative proportions shown. The parts rotating as a unit are: the blower 23, the hollow structure 24 and all of the parts carried by and above it, and the jet-head 16 carried by the shaft-extension 15.

Fuel-oil is supplied, initially at low rate, through the hollow shafts so that it is projected from the jets 17 by centrifugal force into the pockets 49 and against the inner surface of the jacket 45, so that it runs down that surface and is projected by centrifugal force through the side-wall apertures 67 (Figs. 3 and 2). Due to the shoulder formed by plate 53 the liquid oil does not pass through the space 65. After passing through the apertures 67 the oil is pro jected by centrifugal force from the rim of flange 54 of plate 53 to the side wall 39 of the combustion chamber 40 and runs down that wall into the trough 38.

lt is to be assumed that energization of the glow-coil igniter 43 has been effected, either manually or automatically, so that the oil collecting in trough 38 is soon ignited; the fire started by the igniter being spread promptly all around the trough due to the rotation imparted to the atmosphere in the combustion chamber by the rotating blades 68. The electric igniter may then be deenergized.

Air, initially at low rate, is permitted to enter the duct 31 and is forced by the blower into the combustion chamber (as secondary air) through the space around the hollow structure 24, as indicated by the top curved arrow, so that the starting fire is swept upwardly toward the open end of the combustion chamber. Air also passes from within cylinder 26 through openings 50 into the pockets 49, but most of that primary air leaves the pockets by way of the annular space and has little effect on the starting fire.

As the jacket 45 becomes heated by the starting fire, the fuel-oil flowing within it is vaporized and, mixing with the primary air, passes through the annular space 65 and the spaces between plates 57, 58 and 59, and flows upwardly (as indicated by the three vertical arrows) in the form of a combustible mixture through the circular slits 69, 61 and 64, where it is ignited by the starting fire. As the oil within jacket 45 becomes fully vaporized, due to the heat in the combustion chamber, it passes also, as vapor, in small amount through the side-Wall apertures 67 and is directed upwardly by the flange 54. The rate of dow of fuel-oil, and of primary and secondary air, is increased to produce a high-tire condition of the burner after the jacket has reached a temperature high enough to effect proper vaporization of the full amount of oil. As has been described, the pockets 49 are made of somewhat larger capacity at their upper ends so as to form reservoirs for the oil projected from the jets; vaporization of the oil being complete only near the lower ends of the pockets.

Inasmuch as the fire is directed substantially straight upwardly alongside of the vaporizing space defined between jacket 45 and cylinder 26, it produces and maintains the required high temperature in that space; furthermore, theA up-shot tire does not extend to the side wall 39 of the combustion chamber so that that wall remains free from soot; there being a layer of air adjoining wall 39 in high-fire operation of the burner. The wall 39 must be relatively close to the burner, otherwise the fire tends to spread outwardly from the vapor generator defined, at the outside, by jacket 45.

By providing continuous circular slits for the burner there is but slight friction between the walls of these slits and the gases issuing therethrough, and consequently these gases rotate at a speed slower than that of the burner so that the centrifugal force tending to divert the flames toward the side wall of the combustion chamber is small. If, on the other hand, a series of holes were provided in place of the slits, the centrifugal force acting on the rapidly rotating flames issuing from the holes would be sufficient to divert them laterally away from the vapor generator. There is relatively little noise from the fire produced by the circular slits. The relatively long and narrow horizontal and vertical paths for the gases between plates 57, 58 and 59, and at the underside and outside of plate 59, prevents dash-back of the combustible mixture.

The air passing through the series of small passages 51, as previously described, forms a thin protective layer around the outer surface of jacket 45 and prevents deposit of soot on that surface despite the proximity of the upshot fire alongside of itgthe air which passes through passages 51 also contributing to the completion of combustion adjacent the jacket.

When ordinary fuel-oil is subjected to high temperatures, as within the pockets 49, a certain amount of hard carbonaceous matter, or carbon, is deposited from the oil on the walls of the pockets. Periodically, possibly due to contraction and expansion upon cooling and heating of the apparatus, this carbon becomes loosened and is washed from the pockets by the oil and ejected by centrifugal force into the combustion chamber through the side-wall apertures 67 (Figs. 3 and 2) which are made large enough to permit the particles of carbon to pass. The carbon particles escape from the combustion chamber along with the products of combustion. The portion of plate 53 below and inward of the apertures aids in diverting the carbon particles toward the apertures. In the absence of the apertures 67, the carbon particles would pass into the burner slits and probably obstruct them.

The modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 differs from that of Figs. 1-3 only in that the burner assembly comprising the slit-defining plate-portions 57', 58 and 59 is stationary in the arrangement of Fig. 4. The extension 63 (shown in Fig. 1) of the hollow structure 24 has been removed and an additional plate 71 substituted; this plate being similar to the plates 57, 58 and 59 except that its inner edge is extended close to the cylinder 26. The vertical outer portion 71 of plate 71 is arranged to define with the adjacent plate-portion 59 a circular slit which corresponds to the slit indicated at 64 in Fig. 2. The burner assembly is supported by an upward extensio-n 72 of the trough-forming plate (here indicated by numeral 37') which is welded to the bottom plate 71. In Fig. 4, the plate immediately below the bottom of jacket 45 (and side-wall apertures 67) has no outer fiange (since it is stationary) and is indicated by numeral S3. There is a small clearance space (at the top of the burner assembly) between plate 53 and the bottom of jacket 4S, and also (at the bottom of the burner assembly) between plate 71 and the top wall 25 of the hollow structure 24. The fuel-oil vapor generated within jacket 45 enters the burner assembly by way of the annular opening 65 and passes to the burner slits in the same manner as in the arrangement of Figs. 1-3. When the burner assembly is stationary, as in Fig. 4, the burner slits have no special utility and the burner top could be in the form of a perforated plate. The operation of the burner shown in Fig. 4 is substantially the same as that of the burner of Figs. 1-3.

The combustion chamber formed by cylinder 39 and its extension 41 obviously could be a permanent part of a'furnace structure; the remainder of the burner then being mounted in that chamber generally as shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the oil-burner of this invention could be arranged horizontally and would still operate in substantially the same manner as when vertical.

The specific embodiments of my invention herein shown and described are obviously susceptible of modification without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I intend therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a rotary oil-burner: means defining an enclosed space, the outer side wall of the space-defining means being generally cylindrical; a motor for rotating said side wall; means defining a combustion chamber around said side wall of the space-defining means and open at one end; means for supplying fuel-oil to said space; means for receiving fuel-oil vapor generated in the space due to the heat of combustion in said chamber, and for directing the vapor into the chamber from a plane such that the directed vapor passes alongside of said space-defining means on its way to said open end of the chamber; means forming a plurality of passages in said side wall of the space-defining means, said passages being out of communication with said space and terminating at the surface of the side wall exposed to combustion in the chamber; means for passing air into the chamber through said passages, said passages being such in number and so arranged that the air passing therethrough forms a continuous layer around a substantial area of said side-Wall surface when the space-defining means is rotated, said air-layer being between said surface and said directed fuel-oil vapor.

2. A rotary oil-burner as defined in claim 1, and wherein said space-defining means has an inner side-Wall concentric with its outer side-wall so that said fuel-oil space is of annular form and there is a generally cylindrical opening centrally of the space-defining means with which opening said air-passages communicate and by Way of which opening the air is passed through the passages.

3. In a rotary oil-burner: a hollow shaft; a motor for rotating said shaft at high speed; means carried by said shaft and defining an enclosed space, the outer side-wall of said space-defining means being generally cylindrical and coaxial with the shaft; means defining a combustion chamber around said side wall of the space-defining means and open at one end; said space being closed at its end adjacent said open end of said chamber and having an outlet opening at its opposite end; means for supplying fuel-oil, by way of the hollow of said shaft, to said space in a plane adjacent said closed end of the space so that the fuel-oil passes from one end of the space to the other on its way to said outlet opening; and means, connected to said space-defining means so that it is rotable therewith, defining a plurality of passages intercon` necting said outlet opening and said chamber for receiving from said space fuel-oil vapor, generated in the space due to the heat of combustion in the chamber, and directing the Vapor into the chamber; the outlet ends of said passages being arranged so that said vapor passes through vthe chamber toward its outlet end in directions substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft, said outlet ends of the passages comprising means defining a circular slit encircling said axis and disposed in such a plane and at such radial distance from said axis that the vapor is discharged into the combustion chamber through said slit closely alongside of substantially the whole of said side wall of the space-defining means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 989,640 Provin Apr. 18, 1911 1,643,436 Allardice Sept. 27, 1927 1,722,504 Morris July 30, 1929 1,891,835 Perry Dec. 20, 1932 2,534,160 Clarkson Dec. 12, 1950 2,564,384 Wales Aug. 14, 1951 2,597,033 Ray May'20, 1952 

